With a prime location between Los Angeles and Palm Springs, California, the GOCAL region is primed to bump it up a notch when it comes to its meetings and events offerings, and a massive expansion of the Ontario Convention Center scheduled for completion by the end of 2027 is a major step, among many, in that direction.
“We're going to be doubling the size of the convention center,” said Michael Krouse, president and CEO of the Greater Ontario, California CVB, aka GOCal, and regional vice president convention centers for ASM Global. “We'll be going from 250,000 total square feet to nearly a half million square feet, including quite an amazing parking garage. And I know it sounds funny, but our parking garage is actually going to have the ability to turn into meeting space.”
[Related Podcast: How GOCAL Is Going Big With a Massive Convention Center Expansion and More]
GOCAL’s reliably sunny SoCal climate makes the somewhat curious notion of utilizing a parking garage as an on-demand event space a “why didn’t we think of that before” type of feature that will provide added flexibility to the venue.
“We're making the ceiling heights higher and we're eliminating a lot of obstructions and creating power boxes and different things. Because we're a warm-weather destination, we can do a lot of things, but we'll have the benefits of the covering of the garage,” Krouse said. “The first two floors will be convertible if we need to do that, but more importantly, we'll have more than a 50,000-square-foot plaza between the parking garage and the main convention center. So, we’ll have a lot of outdoor space for concerts, for car shows. Whatever you want to do in the outdoors, we can now do it in this expanded facility.”
Ontario Convention Center Expansion Highlights
According to the City of Ontario Economic Development department, highlights of the expansion include the following:
- The addition of 247,000 square feet of space to the existing 222,560-square-foot footprint, which will nearly double the usable space for exhibit, meeting and ballroom spaces
- Improved capability for simultaneous events
- An enhanced pedestrian experience
- Additional parking facilities
- The addition of a 673,000-square-foot, new-build convention hotel targeted for a summer 2027 completion, with current plans calling for more than 600 guest rooms, a spa, fitness center and three signature restaurants.
Rendering of Ontario Convention Center main lobby exterior. Credit: GOCAL.
Ontario, California’s Increasing Clout
The convention center is but one of many major developments set to raise the profile of Ontario, with other projects that include a new entertainment district, Empire Sports Complex and baseball stadium, and an expansion of Ontario International Airport and a downtown improvement project.
Another exciting development is the new Brightline West high-speed rail service connecting Los Angles to Las Vegas with a stop in Ontario. The highly anticipated project is expected to be completed in 2028 and cut travel time between Los Angeles to three hours, and the time between Ontario’s Rancho Cucamonga station to Vegas to just over two hours.
“I think what it does is it probably changes our business mix more than it changes our competitive mix,” Krouse said of the impact the many development and improvement projects will have on the destination’s standing in the MICE industry. “Today, we're Texas-West or the state of California up to Pacific Northwest [market]. Now, we'll be fed nationwide because our size is now appropriate for a whole different demographic of customer.
“And remember, we'll still be a quaint-size building,” Krouse added, “but we’ll have a lot bigger amenities.”
Luxury Hotels in the Mix
To help feed the expanded convention center, Krouse said the city will add a 600-room, dual-brand luxury headquarters hotel.
“Every brand is chomping at the bit to come in here and be on this building,” he said. “It is going to be a four- to five-star product they're doing. It's going to be a mix, a little bit like the JW Marriott in downtown Los Angeles where it has a Ritz-Carlton and a JW Marriott.”
Although the major-brand hotel company has yet to be finalized, Krouse said the result will be a combination of a higher-end product and a traditional upper-tier convention hotel, allowing for a mix of room types planners can choose from.
Enviable Location
Ontario’s location in one of the largest population concentrations on Earth certainly makes the numbers pencil out on the expansion and other projects.
“It's kind of a central hub of the world, I guess you could say, in our region,” Krouse said. “Multiple freeways intersect here, and remember, in this region, too, a lot of people forget we have 5 million people right here. We're the largest county, in fact, in the country.”
A Personalized Approach to Event Success
Behind the impressive developments in the region stands the GOCAL meetings team—a group of seasoned professionals with over 60 years of combined experience in the meetings and conventions industry. Known for their personalized approach and in-depth regional knowledge, the team offers meeting planners an unparalleled level of support, from initial inquiries to the final execution of events.
“Our team’s strength is their ability to listen and customize,” said Michael Krouse, president and CEO of GOCAL. “They understand the nuances of every client’s needs and work tirelessly to ensure seamless experiences.”
This one-stop-shop approach simplifies event planning, offering services such as venue selection, logistical support, and connections to local vendors. Whether coordinating a large-scale convention or an intimate meeting, the GOCAL team leverages their decades of expertise to deliver tailored solutions that align with clients' goals.
With the Ontario Convention Center’s expansion and the growing hotel partners, the team is poised to welcome a new era of meetings and events in the region. By blending state-of-the-art infrastructure with personalized service, GOCAL continues to solidify its reputation as a trusted partner for meeting planners across the industry.
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This article was produced in collaboration with GOCAL.
